The ROI of Storytelling
Why every great leader must learn to tell better stories.
I’ve never been a fan of reducing storytelling to a line on a spreadsheet.
To me, stories are human currency that carry truth, emotion, and memory.
They are the invisible thread that ties purpose to performance.
And yet, the more I’ve worked with organisations, from founders to FTSE 100 executives, the more I’ve seen one truth stand out. Storytelling always shows up in the numbers.
When leaders can’t articulate who they are or what they stand for, engagement drops.
When teams can’t see themselves in the company’s future, change fails.
When customers can’t connect emotionally to your brand, loyalty evaporates.
So yes, much as I’m loath to quantify it, storytelling has a real and measurable ROI, and yet it’s one of the few tools that still makes leadership human.
You see, there’s an art to storytelling. The rhythm, the language and the feeling it leaves behind. But there is also a science. The psychology, the structure and the way our brains light up when a story lands.
When you put both of them together, you start to see storytelling not as decoration, but as design.
A great story helps people believe in what they’re building.
It gives teams context for their work.
It helps customers feel seen.
From data storytelling to vision casting, from culture-building to crisis communication, the leaders who understand the architecture of narrative have a distinct advantage.
They don’t just inform. They influence.
Four Questions Worth Asking
If you’re leading right now, or aspiring to — pause and sit with these:
What stories are being told about you and your leadership when you’re not in the room?
Do the stories your team tells align with your vision — or quietly compete with it?
Are you using data and emotion together, or are you hiding behind one to avoid the other?
When was the last time you crafted a story on purpose — to drive change, not just to communicate it?
The truth is, every meeting, every announcement, every campaign tells a story.
The only question to ask is whether it is the right story?
Next year, I’ll be relaunching Storytelling Labs. Immersive sessions built to help leaders, teams, and organisations rediscover storytelling as a strategic advantage.
This isn’t about learning how to “sound” inspiring. It’s about understanding how stories shape identity, build trust, and drive real-world results.
If you want to elevate how you communicate. To connect, persuade, and lead with clarity, it’s important to understand the art and science of storytelling so that you can get the return you deserve.
Contact me and my team or sign up to my newsletter so you can be the first to know when it drops.
